Great grandson of last ruler of Oudh succumbs to COVID

The great grandson of the last king of Oudh, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah -- Prince Kaukab Quder Saajad Ali Meerza, has passed away.

He died in Kolkata on Sunday evening.

He was the last surviving great grandson of Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal.

The 87-year-old had tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago, his family said.

He is survived by his wife, who belongs to Lucknow's famous Khandaan-e-Ijtehaad family, two sons and four daughters.

He was also a senior trustee of the Sibtainabad Imambara Trust in Matiaburj, Kolkata, where his great grandfather, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah lies buried.

Prince Kaukab Quder Saajad Ali Meerza, better known as Dr. M. Kaukub, had done his doctorate in Urdu from the Aligarh Muslim University on the Literary and Cultural Contributions of Wajid Ali Shah.

He joined the same university and retired as Professor of Urdu in 1993.

Dr. M. Kaukub was a popular figure in the billiards and the snooker fraternity of the country. He was the founder-secretary of the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India, The West Bengal Billiards Association and also The Uttar Pradesh Billiards & Snooker Association.

His son Irfan Ali Mirza said that he was the chief referee at the First World Snooker Championship held at the iconic Great Eastern Hotel in Calcutta in 1963-64. He remained the Chief Referee of the National Billiards & Snooker Championship till it left the Palm Court of the Great Eastern Hotel in the seventies.

The rolling trophy of the IBSF World Snooker Championship, the M. M. Baig Trophy, was designed by him, and to this day remains the prestigious rolling trophy of the World Championship.